Abstract
Post-implantation infections are regarded as a major issue in the biomedical field. Further, many investigations are continuous towards developing antibacterial biocompatible materials. In this regard, hydroxyapatite (HAP), erbium oxide (Eu
2
O
3
), and graphene oxide (GO) were introduced in nanocomposites combinations, including single, dual, and triple constituents. The nanoparticles of HAP, Eu
2
O
3
, and nanosheets of GO are synthesized separately, while dispersed in the nanocomposites simultaneously. The morphological investigation showed that HAP was configured in a rod-like shape while the nano ellipsoidal shape of Eu
2
O
3
was confirmed. The particle size of the ternary nanocomposite containing HAP/Eu
2
O
3
/GO reached the length of 40 nm for the rods of HAP and around 28 nm for the length axis of ellipsoidal Eu
2
O
3
nanoparticles. The roughness average increased to be about 54.7 nm for HAP/GO and decreased to 37.9 nm for the ternary nanocomposite. Furthermore, the maximum valley depth (R
v
) increased from HAP to the ternary nanocomposite from 188.9 to 189.8 nm. Moreover, the antibacterial activity was measured, whereas the inhibition zone of HAP/Eu
2
O
3
/GO reached 13.2 ± 1.1 mm for
Escherichia coli
and 11.4 ± 0.8 mm for
Staphylococcus aureus
. The cell viability of the human osteoblast cell lines was evaluated to be 98.5 ± 3% for the ternary composition from 96.8 ± 4% for the pure HAP. The existence of antibacterial activity without showing cytotoxicity against mammalian cells indicates the compatibility of nanocomposites with biomedical applications.